Dumka, Oct. 29: The simmering resentment in Congress rank and file at Godda has deepened with the high command’s decision to back the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate in the Godda by-poll slated for December 12.

With the announcement of the poll date at Godda, tension mounted the party camp there. Earlier, the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) had almost agreed to leave the seat to RJD after party chief Laloo Prasad Yadav demanded it.

Laloo Yadav said as his party had supported Congress candidates Sarfraz Ahmed in the Rajya Sabha biennial and Simon Marandi during the Lok Sabha bypoll at Dumka, this time round his party should be supported by the Congress.

Congress workers fail to understand the reason behind the compromise to leave the seat to RJD.

According to party sources, the RJD chief made it clear to the Congress high command that since Congress did not have a “suitable” Yadav candidate, RJD should have the chance to counter the communal forces.

Yadavs and minorities are considered to be the vote banks and RJD enjoys a significant support from them. BJP’s sitting MP from the seat, Jagdambi Yadav, whose sudden demise has led to the by-poll, enjoyed the support of the Yadavs of the constituency, which enabled him to continue for three consecutive terms, Laloo Yadav told Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

On the contrary, Congress circles in Godda claimed that the party had its base among the Brahmins and the backward communities in the parliamentary constituency spread across neighbouring Deoghar district.

“It is not as if after Jagdambi Babu, Sanjoy Yadav became a cult figure in Godda. Yadavs never supported Jagdambi Babu wholeheartedly during his lifetime. It were the Bramhins and other communities who ensured his victory,” party leaders told The Telegraph.

Citing polling trends in the constituency, they said the Bramhin lobby always supported the Congress in the Godda Assembly constituency.

Congress leaders Bhagwat Jha Azad, chief minister in united Bihar and former Union finance minister Rameshwar Thakur, both of whom were from Godda, enjoyed the support of the Brahmins.

According to observers, the Congress game plan is to help RJD counter the BJP by splitting the Yadav and other vote banks of the saffron party. However, despite the announcement of the polling date, the campaigning is yet to take off. But Congress workers from Godda have decided not to extend any support to the RJD. “We will soon decide our next course of action for the polls but it will be better for us to remain indoors than work for a criminal like Sanjoy,” Congress workers said.

The Congress move might jolt not only JMM but also the BJP, as the poll battle in Godda would be tough for both the parties, especially BJP, observers said. JMM was likely to name its candidate at the eleventh hour, as it has decided to approach both Congress and RJD to select a “unanimous candidate” to fight the ruling NDA.The JMM members were unhappy with the top brass because of their inclination towards RJD, party sources added.